Greyhound Adoption Program

Have you ever thought about fostering or adopting a greyhound? The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) is a non-profit organisation who dedicates their time and effort to rehome both retired and non-racing greyhounds.

Greyhounds are affectionate, gentle animals who thrive on human companionship. Sometimes public perception is that greyhounds are aggressive animals and they love to chase. In reality, while racing greyhounds do love to chase, after they have retired they become couch potatoes and the ideal house pet.

Once a greyhound retires from racing they are firstly assessed for temperament. After being deemed suitable they are placed in foster homes for up to 8 weeks to acclimatise to life as a pet. No special qualifications are needed to become a foster carer – just a little love, a lot of patience and a fenced yard. After their foster period they're ready to find their loving forever homes.

The sister of one of our nurses recently adopted a greyhound named Jack from GAP. She was meant to just be “fostering” him but fell madly in love and couldn't part ways. Jack is now a very spoiled member of the family as you can see in the photo (top). Our vet Lara also has a greyhound named Jet who loves to smile and pose for photos (bottom).

For more information check out the GAP website

What to do if your pet starts to feel the heat

Our pets can’t sweat all over their bodies like humans can. They rely on panting to get rid of the hot air and only produce a small amount of sweat through their footpads. This makes them extremely susceptible to heat exhaustion in hot and humid conditions.

Heat exhaustion can be particularly dangerous and even fatal so it’s important to be able to recognise the signs and know what to do.

Watch out for:

•     Excessive panting
•     Exaggerated and noisy panting
•     Lethargy
•     Drooling
•     Weakness or collapse
•     Vomiting

What to do if you suspect heat exhaustion:

•     Bring your pet to us immediately (or seek emergency veterinary care)
•     On your way here you can cool your pet by applying wet towels to hairless parts of your pet’s body (groins or paws)
•     Place your pet in front of the air conditioner or a fan while you are in the car.

If you are ever worried about your pet in the heat call us for advice

Snakes about

Dogs and cats are curious creatures and at this time of year they can sometimes be found harassing a snake.

Different species of snakes possess different types of venom so if your pet is bitten, signs can appear anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours after a bite.

The early signs of snake bite include:

•     Enlarged pupils
•     Salivation
•     Vomiting
•     Hind limb weakness
•     Rapid breathing

How can you help your pet survive a snake bite?

•     Seek veterinary attention immediately
•     Keep your pet as STILL AS POSSIBLE - this is critical to help reduce movement of the venom around the body. Carry your pet to the car, do not let them walk.
•     Try to keep the bite site below the level of the heart and remove your pet’s collar
•     Even if you only suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake you should see a vet. It is better that your pet is checked over rather than wait and be sorry.

Please never attempt to kill, handle or capture the snake – you could also end up getting bitten.

Charlie's itchy ears

Charlie the chocolate labrador was shaking his head and using his foot to have a old good scratch around his head. He was wearing a new collar and his owners thought this was the culprit, but when he started to smell a bit funny he came in for a check up.

An examination revealed hot, red and itchy ears. There was black 'muck' at the opening of his ear canals and his ears smelt terrible!

Using an otoscope (a fancy tool with a light) the canal was examined all the way to the ear drum. There was no sign of a foreign body (such as a grass seed) but the ear canals were very inflamed.

A sample was taken from the canal and examined under the microscope revealing a yeast infection. This was causing the horrible smell!

Ear infections are very common at this time of the year. We like to think of the ear as a 'mini environment'. If this environment is upset in any way (such as moisture from swimming or itchiness from an allergy) bacteria and yeast start to have a party in there! The result is a very unhappy ear canal and an uncomfortable pet.

Charlie was treated with ear ointment for a week and a recheck revealed the infection and inflammation had cleared.

If you think your pet might have itchy or smelly ears arrange a check up with us ASAP. The longer you leave an ear infection, the harder (and more expensive) it becomes to treat.

If your pet suffers from recurrent ear infections you should ask us about some of the new medications we have available to help prevent ongoing problems.